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November 17, 2010 - Rick

Munich, Germany by Andrew Ingersoll

BIG Platinum Card Sign Up Bonus

This offer came out yesterday and deserves your review. They have doubled teh Membership Rewards Signup bonus to 50,000 points if you spend $1000 in the first three months. You also receive $200 of incidental fees on your favorite airlines and lounge access for you and your guests. If yo planned on buying lounge access next year, yo ucan get it here on most airlines and 50,000 MR points to boot. Study this one for your travel needs, particularly if you buy lounge access.

Soon to be United Miles No First Year Fee

Chase (JPMorgan Chase & Co.)

Bonesaz

For the Platinum Card is the offer expiration the same as the Gold Card 11/30 or is it different? What is the $200 in Airline Fee Credits? Thanks
FrugalTravelGuy

I have NOT been notified if the Plat card is a limited time offer but at 50K I'm sure it is. Incidentals are baggage fees, change fees?? overweight baggage fees. My understanding weak on that as the wording is vague.
bert

hi rick, note the following about the annual fee being prorated in the platinum terms:

"Approximately 45 days after your account is upgraded, you will be charged a prorated Annual Membership Fee for your new Card based on the time remaining until your next account anniversary date."

that means that we could end up paying much less that $450 and still get 50,000 membership rewards points if we time things right, correct?
Rob

Why do you consider MR points so valuable? or is it just the other features of the card that you like as well? For example, I tried testing out a few Marriott Hotel stays. I picked a random hotel (the Courtyard Thousand Oaks Ventura County (cat. 3)) – on Marriott it is 15,000 Marriott points per night. On AmEx it is 20,000 MR points for a weekend night. So in this scenario, Marriott points are worth more. Is that an anomaly – am I missing something? Thanks!!
Daniel Langdon

Im really anxious to expand into another type of rewards program, and was looking into the AMEX program. Does anyone have experience with their programs? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Id primarily be interested to know the following:
1) Can you use 25k for a free flight? How bad are the restrictions if so (ie do they pick the worst red eye connectioned flight, or is their leeway there?)?
2) If I get this AMEX + the business gold, can I combine the points for travel redemption? Can I combine the points with any AMEX points, or only "Membership Rewards", or not even that? Can I combine points with wife?
3) If redeeming for a hotel or a cruise, are there any special redemption deals, or is it the standard 1%?

THANKS SO MUCH to anyone who can help!
Anonymous

FrugalTravelGuy,

How come this is a deal ? I admire your blog and visit frequently but I hope you post hand picked deals and If it is not then just mention it for new visitors.
FrugalTravelGuy

Rob: A membership reward point can be converted to an airline mile. Airline miles vary in value from 1 cent each (skypesos) to 1.6 approximately 50,000x 1.5 cents plus a $450 club membership is worth well more than the big annual fee.
FrugalTravelGuy

Anon: I pick deals that offer value to the readers. A deal that gives you a free airline ticket for a 2-5 point hit to your credit score is value in my mind, if, and only if, your credit score can stand the reduction. See my above comment for the value in this deal
Rob

Rick,

Makes sense, I see what you are saying now. Thanks for the clarification.
Anonymous

makes sense to me too..thanks
James

In the terms and conditions it mentions that this offer is open only to "first time platinum card members". I had this card 5 years ago or so. Canceled it because I stopped flying for work so much. Will this offer apply to me? thanks
narikin

Its a kind of OK deal, but not a blinder. The Gold business is far the better one with no first year fee and the same 50,000 miles free, but… after a $10,000 spend.

Get both (the platinum is personal) and you certainly can have them combined into the same account. Even just the 50k miles transferred to your favorite airline program when there is a transfer bones (usually 1:1, sometimes 1.15:1) would give you 60k miles in that program for $450. Look at your programs redemptions and decide if its worth it to you.

The 'pro rata' bit is interesting, can you get the card, get the miles, cancel the card after 3 months and get back 75% of your $450 fee, I wonder?

That last ruse would make me do it, without that, I'll keep the $450 in my pocket, and wait for a better offer.

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